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She didn’t relish the idea of putting in another four years to get back to the same spot she’d been in before the accident. Besides, weren’t some of the most successful businesspeople college dropouts?
But she wasn’t comfortable enough to go without some sort of knowledge base. Which was why she was now looking at two-year associate degrees at all the local colleges. Perhaps marketing or business administration. She would rebuild her foundation in a useful and productive way while trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life.
However, trying to choose exactly what programs to apply to filled her with anxiety. There were so many choices. Time was precious. She knew that better than anyone. Emma couldn’t afford to waste any of it.
The whole mess was giving her a headache. The cold wind coming through the kiosk service window didn’t help either. It had given her an earache that made the pain in her head worse.
By the time Bethany arrived to cover the rest of her shift, Emma’s head was splitting. Unable to do much else, she sat on the bucket, waiting for the worst to pass so she could head home.
“You look like death warmed over,” Bethany said with her usual charm. “Can’t you take something?”
“I already did.” Emma had finally run out of her old pain medication a few days ago and started the new pills, taking one a few days ago and another this morning.
Bleary-eyed and slightly nauseated, she checked the clock above the service window. It was half an hour too early, but she couldn’t afford to wait any longer if she was going to walk home.
“This stuff just doesn’t work as well as the old prescription,” she muttered.
Bethany shrugged. “Take two.”
Emma must have looked like crap because the other woman voluntarily fetched her a cup of water.
“Thanks,” she said, fishing out the prescription bottle from her pocket. “I just might.”
Garrett handedhis edits of the latest contract of the Montevalle Resorts deal to the PA he’d just hired.
“Get this to legal and have them look over the changes. If they approve it, have them send it out.”
The young man nodded, taking the folder and hustling out of the room.
When his former assistant had told him they weren’t coming back, Garrett hadn’t attempted to fill the position despite being slammed with work.
Instead, his brain had spun a little fantasy of Emma coming to work for him. She could help him in the office and learn the ins and outs of business at his side. He thought it might be a good way for her to dip her toes in the pool, before taking off and forging her own path.
Thank God Rainer had talked him out of that. It would have been a disaster, of course. He wouldn’t have been able to keep his hands off her during work hours.
It was one thing to take her to the back bedroom when no one else knew she was here. But it would be quite another to do it if she was a regular employee.
It didn’t matter that everyone knew she was his wife now. That just meant they’d be scrutinized more closely. The staff would be on the lookout for shenanigans. They’d take note when Emma was flushed or when a lock of hair was out of place, and they would correctly assume the two of them had been messing around during work hours.
No, his idea had been a bad one. He couldn’t expose Emma to that kind of gossip and possible ridicule. She was his wife. He wanted his staff to treat her with respect. He would not have them snickering at her behind their backs because he couldn’t keep it in his pants.
It was enough that she had indulged his secret love slave fantasy last week.
Garrett turned his head, looking at the door of the office bedroom as the memories flashed through his mind. But he ruthlesslyshut them down.
Any longer and he would have texted her to come over again after everyone went home.
He had gone full sex fiend in that bedroom and would do it again if given the chance. When it came to Emma, Garrett was a glutton. He had to pace himself or she’d start to feel suffocated.
He’d also asked too much of her. Emma had been sore the day after spending the night at the office, enough that he’d noticed a tiny hitch in her step when she walked.
She’d also been suspiciously quiet. Had she been too embarrassed to tell him he was an animal?
No, Emma wasn’t shy about calling him on his bullshit. If he’d gone too far, he would have gotten an earful. Still, a little moderation and a heck of a lot more discretion were in order.
Of course, Emma likely had her own opinions on the matter. She didn’t hide her desire for him and was an enthusiastic participant every time they had sex. He just needed to make sure that she was comfortable yanking on the reins when his lecherous ass went off the rails.
He was going a little crazy, making up for lost time.